Golden Afternoon
by Sakura aka L-sama no Miko
Summary: I suck at summaries. All I can tell you is that this centers around our beloved white haired lovelies, a certain dragon obsessed CEO, and the wacky and lovable crew of HnK.


Golden Afternoon

by Sakura (aka L-sama no Miko)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the guys here (they're Takahashi-sama's and Quinrose's T_T) nor do I own the song, it's Avril's. I'm just borrowing them for my own personal enjoyment.

Ryou snuggled against his cousin's chest, nestled in the older albino's lap. Bakura had his arms tightly wrapped around the smaller teen, but not tight enough to cause bruising nor was it tight enough for Ryou. The white haired boy had very little time to spend with his love for his duties took up most of the day and on most nights as well.

Ryou frowned at heir surroundings. It pained him to see Bakura living in such squalor. They were currently lounging on an old dingy mattress that had been thrown against on the freezing cold stone walls of the room. It was more of a dungeon cell than an actual room. The remains of ancient rusty hooks and chains hung above them at various intervals. An equally old, moth-eaten blanket was neatly folded across the 'bed's' foot. The only other piece of furniture in the 'room' was a rickety, beaten up chest standing next to the bed. The older man's few paltry belongings were in that poor, sorry box.

It broke the meek albino's heart every time he snuck down to the mansion's cellar apartment to be with his cousin. It just wasn't fair that he was given every luxury possible while the love of Ryou's life was suffering so.

He hated their master for a great many reasons, his treatment of Bakura being one of them. The others, he'd rather not think about just now. He needed to feel his cousin's warm presence against him. He didn't want to start thinking about…

"Ryou…"

Speak of the devil. The timid boy stiffened at his master's drawling voice.

"Ryou…" the lord of the manor called again from the top of the stairs, annoyance seeping into his voice, "Don't make me come down there after you. You wouldn't want us to be late for the tea party would you?"

"Go Ryou," Bakura whispered, loath to release his gentle lover. "You know it'll just be worse for us if you don't."

"C-Coming Master Kaiba," the smaller albino called. He reluctantly rose from the world's most comfortable seat, giving his beloved a fierce hug.

"Be strong," the older one whispered, relishing the warm embrace.

"You too," Ryou returned, "I love you so much."

"I know."

With a very heavy heart, the shy valet trudged up the stairs after closing the rusty iron door to Bakura's room, his polished expensive shoes echoing on the stone stairs as he climbed.

"Hmph! Took you long enough," Seto huffed, his arms crossed against his white uniformed chest.

"I-I'm sorry, M-Master Seto," the shorter boy apologized.

Ryou yelped as his master roughly grabbed him by his equally white clad arm. "Honestly, Ryou. I give you everything you could possibly want, and yet you keep on dirtying yourself with _**that**_ man." He pressed the albino to him, forcing his lips against Ryou's pale rose ones. "Why can't you accept that you're mine?" the brunet requested, realizing the boy wasn't going to respond to the kiss.

The usually submissive valet kept what he truly wanted to say locked deep within his pain filled heart, knowing too well if he did, there'd be dire consequences. Maybe not dire to Ryou, Lord Kaiba would never physically harm his precious valet, but they would certainly most dire for those Ryou wished to protect with all his being. That was why he'd submitted to this horrible man's whims and desires – to protect those who meant more to him than all the treasures and riches of the world. So the meek boy vowed in his heart of hearts that all the cruel man would ever possess was his well used body and nothing else. Not his heart; and definitely not his soul.

"Come!" Ryou's lord and master commanded, "I need you to help me get ready for tonight." He wrinkled his nose, giving his valet another hard glare. "But first I think a shower is in order, I smell like a sewer rat no thanks to you."

"S-Sorry, master," Ryou apologized again, suppressing the urge to vomit on the taller man. It was always the same, whenever the brunet told him he wanted a bath or shower, the white haired valet was 'required' to join him in the water and scrub the hated man's body clean. And it always led to even more hated touching, on his master's part, touching Ryou only wanted from Bakura. Cringing inwardly, the poor slave of a valet forlornly followed his master through the white themed mansion.

* * *

"Seto, what you're doing is wrong. I do not care for how you've been treating your servants," Atem said. The two White Knights were taking a break from mingling with their host's many guests and were currently hiding in a more secluded part of the enormous rose garden behind the Dupre family mansion.

Atem's look-alike valet, Yugi, hung nervously off to the side. He was silently praying that his beloved master's cousin would listen to the shorter Knight. However, he just could not shake the feeling that it wasn't going to go too well.

"Like I care what you think, cousin," Seto snapped. Yep. Yugi was right this was _**not**_ going to be good. "My servants are my property and therefore _**none of your business**_. I will treat them as I see fit, not you my, oh so sanctimonious cousin."

"No wonder you can't get Ryou to love you," the spiky haired man shot back, grinning like a certain cat who had the proclivity to dress in punk style clothing and pulling off peculiar vanishing acts. "If he were to hear you speak like that… why don't you just give up on the boy? I hear Her Majesty's page is still available. I'm sure you won't mind the rabbit ears since he's just as cute as your valet, he even has the same hair color."

Icy crystal blue eyes narrowed in fury, the blue darkening to a rich sapphire. With the speed born from years of training, Seto's fist flew through the air and landed firmly against Atem's jaw. The crack of flesh striking flesh covered bone resounded throughout the area.

"Atem!" little Yugi cried, distressed at the sight of his love's blood stained lips and nose.

"I'b alright, liddle aibou," the Knight said clutching a handkerchief to his probably broken nose, putting pressure on it to staunch the bleeding. Deep crimson orbs glowered at his much taller cousin. "I'll be seebig you a week frob bow," he spat still pinching his injured nose, throwing down one white glove, "We'll seddle dis den, cousib."

"Whatever," shot the other Knight, picking up the glove, "As long as it doesn't waste my time."

Atem said no more, instead let his beloved Yugi lead him away to get his injury looked at. _'It's a shame I'm the only one who's a gentleman in the family,'_ he thought ruefully, knowing what would happen if their little scene were witnessed by those assembled. It wouldn't have been a pretty sight, even if his 'dear' cousin needed a good swift kick in the bum.

"That annoying, self-righteous, little…" the brunet ground out through gritted teeth.

"Oh there you are!" crooned a woman dressed in an elaborate red and black gown embroidered with hearts along the hems of its many layers and sleeves, a crown perched precariously off to the side on her perfectly curled and pigtailed head. "I've been looking _all_ over for you, my dear White Knight, such a naughty boy!" pouted Vivaldi, Queen of Hearts, as she took in the black skin tight silk shirt and matching black leather pants under the sleeveless white trench coat. "We've all been hearing such interesting tales of this wondrous songbird of yours."

Forcing himself not t ho vomit at the queen's firm grip on his arm, Seto allowed himself to be led back to the party guests. "She's passable," he replied, disinterestedly. He kept the girl under his roof only for one reason and it wasn't for her singing talent, "for an outsider. I am honored you'd even express any interest at all, your majesty."

"Oh pish-posh!" she said, leaning into Seto's side, making him cringe on the inside. Gods, he should have made Ryou stay at his side. How he couldn't stand this woman! "Life's been sooooo boring lately since that charming Alice girl decided to settle down. I'm desperate for a bit of excitement."

* * *

Ryou shuddered as the order to bring in the birdcage was given, grateful his master hadn't given it to him. He loathed that hideous monstrosity. A few of the faceless servants Seto kept wheeled the covered contraption near the enormously long table. Curious murmurs began to float across its length as the partygoers caught wind of its arrival.

A servant pulled off the midnight blue tarp and the air exploded with gasps of awe. Seated on an intricately carved swing inside the white wrought iron cage was a young girl. The guests marveled at her pale skin and snow white hair along with the elegant and elaborate gown made entirely from the whitest and softest of swan feathers.

The girl's sad chocolate doe eyes fell upon the valet resembling her, their souls connecting for the briefest of moments at that glance. How Ryou yearned to rush over there and swing open the tiny door and yank out his sister, flee this insane world and never ever return. But he knew it'd be impossible.

Seto knew of his valet's current desire and harshly pinched his arm, causing him to start and stifle the resulting yelp of pain. Upon the silent warning, the albino sorrowfully looked away from the birdcage. The White Knight then turned his stern frown to the girl. She refused to look away as she stood, her head held defiantly high. After taking a couple breaths, the 'songbird' began to sing in the clearest, musical voice all of Wonderland had ever heard.

"_Trippin' out_

_Spinnin' around_

_I'm underground_

_I fell down_

_I fell do-ay-ay-own_

_  
__I'm freakin' out_

_Where am I now?_

_Upside down and It can't stop me now_

_It can't stop me no-oo-oo-ow_

_Ohhhhh-ohhhh_

I-I-I-I I'll get by

_I-I-I-I I'll survive_

_  
__When the world's crashing down_

_When I fall and hit the ground_

_I will turn myself around_

_Don't you try to stop me_

_  
__I-I-I-I I won't cry_

_I found myself in Wonderland_

_Get back on my feet again_

_  
__Is this real?_

_Is this pretend?_

_I'll take a stand until the end_

_  
__I-I-I-I I'll get by_

_I-I-I-I I'll survive_

_  
__When the world's crashing down_

_When I fall and hit the ground_

_I will turn myself around_

_Don't you try to stop me_

_  
__I-I-I-I I won't cry_

_I-I-I-I I'll get by_

_I-I-I-I I'll survive_

_  
__When the world's crashing down_

_When I fall and hit the ground_

_I will turn myself around_

_Don't you try to stop me_

_  
__I-I-I-I I won't cry"_

There was thunderous applause as she finished the song, though a certain white haired valet wasn't. Her words did, however, offer him a bit of comfort – he knew she was singing only for him, secretly pleading with him to just forget about her and flee. Flee with the one who truly loved him.

"My! She is exquisite!" Vivaldi exclaimed, awestruck by the girl's ability to carry a tune without any accompaniment. "Passable indeed! She's a born natural, Seto!" Many murmurs of agreement followed the queen's statement. The tall brunet couldn't help puffing slightly at the ego boost he'd just gotten.

Further down the table, coal black eyes glowered at the Knight in envy and disapproval. The head of the Hatters was about to bargain with the chestnut haired man when a faceless Hatter servant approached him and whispered to him.

"I do beg your pardon everyone," Blood announced as he rose from the tea laden table, his fiancée Alice shooting him a curious and concerned look, "But a slight complication is in need of my expertise. Do continue to enjoy yourselves, I shan't be long." Giving his guests a quick bow, Blood Dupre followed the servant into the Hatter mansion.

* * *

Bakura rifled through the dark mahogany desk, intent on finding what he'd been coerced to find. Muttering under his breath, he scowled when the desired object was nowhere to be found. Seto's spies had said what their master was after was kept hidden in that desk and yet…

_ 'I've practically took this hunk of wood apart and NOTHING!'_ the albino screamed inwardly. _'So where the bloody hell is it?!'_

"Is this what you're looking for?" a deep baritone drawled.

The recently appointed White Knave, cursed at being caught. He knew he'd taken too long looking in that office. Blood smiled cruelly, holding up in one hand the poorly drawn picture of a white dragon, the Kaiba family crest, while holding a machine gun in the other.

This would have been a purely, bizarre and comical scene for those who didn't know the history between the Kaibas and the Hatter mafia family.

That worthless scrap of paper was the only remaining link Seto had to his beloved baby brother Mokuba. The boy had been a victim of a stray bullet that a certain strawberry blond rabbit currently employed by said mafia. He had been racing home after playing with a friend at Gowland's amusement park when he'd passed near a gunfight between the rabbit and a certain punk clothed cat. Seto would go around carrying that picture for weeks after the raven haired Kaiba's death until one day it went missing. Ever since then, there had been bad blood between the two families.

Seto had finally been able to track down the picture's whereabouts and it only made him more irate that his most hated enemy was in possession of it. 'Just like that twisted bastard to keep something so worthless to him, knowing how much it means to me,' he had muttered to himself upon hearing the news from the spies he'd sent to the Dupre mansion.

"Why don't you just hand that over," Bakura said raising his hands, "It's obvious of no value to you and we can forget all about this, ne?"

"You're quite wrong, my ratty friend," the Hatter head said, still smirking cruelly, "This bit of paper is quite valuable. It allows me a certain amount of leverage against your master. Pity I have to waste such a skilled thief like you, it's not every day anyone can waltz into my home without being detected."

Blood's fingers squeezed the gun's trigger, but before he could fire the gun, a blue blur rushed past him and standing before him was his dear Alice, indignation written on her adorable face. "Honestly Blood!" she yelled, "How many times must I tell you to stop being so trigger happy!"

The raven haired Hatter sighed, there would never be anyway he'd ever be able to kill the girl – even if that had been his initial plan once he'd gotten bored of her. "Still, Alice sweetheart, he did break into _our_ home. That demands punishment or don't they punish thieves in your world?" Alice bit her lip, determined to protect the white haired man.

* * *

She'd been talking to Boris lately, curious to know if the Cheshire cat had known anything about the White Knight and his valet upon their first meeting. The punk cat had done some digging; getting info was one of his many talents after all. What he had to tell didn't sit too well with the foreign girl.

He told her that the White Knight was an arrogant and cruel man who cared only for himself, having turned that way after the death of his brother – he tactfully left out her fiancé's involvement in that matter. Alice felt pity for Seto upon hearing that, but it quickly turned to contempt upon receiving the rest of Boris' info.

A few months ago, three albino people had fallen into Wonderland, two of them male, the other female. How they wound up there no one had been able to figure out. They had been wondering through the lands when the Knight stumbled upon them. Recognizing them as something rare and therefore potentially valuable, Seto had lured them to his home with promises of finding a way to send them back to the 'outside' world.

The handsome man was kind and congenial at first then, when the eldest of the three – the thief Alice was currently protecting – started growing impatient and began constantly demanding to be sent home, Seto immediately countered by holding them hostage, using each one against the other in order to keep them bound to him.

The Hatter's fiancée was furious. She swore then and there she'd do whatever she could to help her fellow outsiders should the chance ever present itself.

* * *

"It's not like he wanted to do this!" the brunette girl pleaded, "You know that Kaiba's forcing him to! I know you do Blood!"

"Alice," the taller man started. Sighing again he gave up, knowing that determined look. "Fine. He's free to go. Just don't let me see your sorry ass on my lands again."

"Blood!" Alice called as he turned to leave.

"What more do you want from me, sweet Alice? I did as you asked."

"I still need that picture," interrupted Bakura, "He'll hurt Amane and me, if I don't. That'll hurt Ryou and _**I **_do not want that."

"Can't you help them?" Alice pleaded, "Can't you do something for that poor girl?"

"I'd advise your woman to keep her nose out of business that doesn't concern her," barked Kaiba as he strolled into the Hatter's office. He had followed the girl, sensing that something was amiss with the heist he had planned. "I'll be taking back my dragon, Dupre. Or would you prefer I'd take something of yours instead?"

The White Knight withdrew a pocket sized pistol from inside his trench coat and aimed it at the raven haired man's fiancée, his finger poised on the trigger.

"Do that, and I'll make sure you beg me to stop your clock. Then I'll make sure Julius fixes it so you'll have to live that life you so despise."

"Hand over what belongs to me, and I won't have to," Seto demanded.

"I don't think you're in any position to be ordering me about, Sir Knight." Blood turned his machine gun on Ryou. "Unlike us, outsiders do not have clocks Julius can repair. You know this as well as any of us."

'_Tch! Damn that bastard!'_ the chestnut haired man cursed. "Hmph. Go ahead Dupre," Kaiba sneered, sure of the fact that as long as he had his gun on Alice, the Hatter wouldn't dare risk any moves that would cause him to lose her. "You don't have the guts, especially now that that little slut's got you tamed, _'Mad Hatter'_."

Ebony eyes blazed in fury at the Knight's audacity to insult his dearest Alice. The girl was huffing and puffing, just as pissed as her love. "I warned you," Blood spat venomously.

Time seemed to slow down to a snail's crawl as the Hatter's fingers pressed the trigger. Bullets were sprayed towards the timid valet, intent on doing irreparable damage to his person. Over the cacophony of bullets, was the clamor of screams as Alice rushed to Blood's side to plead with him not to fire and Bakura leapt in front of his beloved Ryou frantic to protect him at all costs.

* * *

The albino teen shot up in bed, a bloodcurdling scream issuing from his rose colored lips. Bakura rushed into the boy's room, slamming the door open in the process.

"Ryou!" he called, wrapping his arms around his terrified lover. "Shh tenshi. It's alright, I'm here," crooned, rocking the teen back and forth. He continued doing so for a few minutes, whispering soothing nonsense into Ryou's ear.

Finally Ryou had calmed down enough for the taller man to gently push the ill boy back onto the bed. "'K-Kura?" he sniffled, the nightmare still fresh in his mind. "I-It's really you! You're not… not…" The gentle albino could not bring himself to finish that sentence, fearing that if he did, that horrible, horrible dream would become reality.

"Of course it is, foolish little cousin," Bakura affirmed, reapplying the cool washcloth that had been knocked off during Ryou's thrashing about. "I'd never leave you, love. Shinigami-sama himself would have one hell of a time trying to keep us apart."

"'K-Kura," Ryou stammered, his face red and not just from the fever. It wasn't every day the rough around the edges albino spoke such touching and loving words.

The older man smiled tenderly as he spent the next few minutes stroking the smaller one's silky soft snow colored head while holding his hand and running his thumb along Ryou's palm. "Go back to sleep, tenshi," he crooned.

"Stay with me?" the boy pleaded.

"Anything for you, my lovely dove." Bakura slipped into the bed, covering them with the down filled coverlet. The teen cooed happily and curled up against his beloved, laying his head against the man's bare well toned chest.

"Aishiteru," Ryou murmured, wrapping one delicate arm across the taller man.

"I know," Bakura answered, pressing lips to the boy's sweat covered brow.

He laid there in contented silence, letting the soft snores of his smaller love lull in to sleep.

~Owari~

A/N: I know, I know crappy ending, but that's how this baby wanted to go. Anyhoo, if it hadn't worked for Lewis Carroll, I doubt I'd be writing a fic like this.


End file.
